Michigan State's Alex Gauna goes to the basket and is defended tightly by Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe in a physical game on Wednesday night at Breslin Center.Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

EAST LANSING —Michigan State's Tom Izzo still isn't sure what to make of his team's offensive struggles in the first half on Wednesday night, but the Spartans' coaching legend does have a pretty good idea why his team was still able to win the game.

"Zero turnovers in the first half, I don't think that's ever happened in the 30 years I've been here, honestly, and to only have five for the game, that's probably the lowest in my entire career,'' Izzo said following the Spartans' 61-50 victory over Minnesota at Breslin Center.

Michigan State entered the game averaging 14.3 turnovers per game this season and 12.4 in Big Ten play. Previously, the most recent time the Spartans had only five turnovers in a game was in a 66-61 victory at Minnesota last Feb. 22.

"It's very difficult to find a silver lining in the cloud,'' Izzo said of Wednesday's bruising slugfest, "but that is a silver lining, and that's probably why we won the game.''

"I look at the (hustle) board 6 1/2 minutes (into the second half), we had one turnover, we had scored 18 or 19 points, which is more than we scored the whole first half (18),'' izzo said. "That (not turning the ball over) was one of our big keys, because the score so well off turnovers. That was a plus.''

Minnesota scored only four points off turnovers — to Michigan State's 19 — and the Gophers failed to score any fast break points.

Michigan State freshman Denzel Valentine, pressed into action on account of backup guard Travis Trice being sidelined by a head injury, played 21 minutes and committed only one turnover.